Deviant (Boys of Winter #3) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,26

King. “There’s the matter of Tobias King and his role within Dynasty.”

My brows furrow as I watch King straightening in his seat. “How do you mean?” I ask Harding.

“He was your father’s right-hand man, and that role continued after your father’s untimely death. Because of this, he was more involved in the day-to-day business of Dynasty than the rest of us. So, we need to know that those duties are still being taken care of.”

I lean back in my chair, meeting Harding’s stare. “So, you’re telling me that after burying the man today, your most important question is who is going to file his paperwork?”

Harding slices his gaze around the room, unsure of where I’m going with this. “I uhh … well, yes. He had an important role which ensured the day-to-day business ran smoothly.”

“Oh, of course,” I say with a breathy laugh, having to pause for a second as the pain in my abdomen gets too uncomfortable. “And here I thought the most important question was who’s responsible for killing him.”

Harding’s eyes bug out of his head, but only for a second before he composes himself. As he goes to respond, I hold up my hand, having more than enough of this conversation. “Earnest came to me three days ago and we discussed Tobias’s role in detail, and if you had bothered to check your emails, you would have seen that the matter was already resolved. His son, Hunter King, will step into his father’s shoes, just as Tobias had always planned and trained him to do. So, thank you for again wasting my night. Now, if that is everything, you may all be excused to finish your night with your families.”

Not wanting tonight to drag on any longer, the men around me stand and exit the council chamber, probably feeling that tonight’s meeting was just as much of a colossal waste of their time as it was for me. The room quickly clears out and as the last man walks out of the council chamber, leaving just me, King, and Carver behind, my whole world crumbles, and I finally allow the pain to consume me.

I fall off the side of my chair, hitting the ground with a hard thud, and within moments, King and Carver are by my sides. King scoops me into his warm, capable arms and holds me tight as I desperately will myself to hold it together for just a little while longer.

I just need to survive for five more minutes before King can slide me into my bed and dose me up on painkillers. “You’re going to be alright,” King murmurs, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll have you home in no time.”

And just like that, the boys sneak my ass out of there, managing to bypass the other fourteen heads of Dynasty who are slowly making their way out of the underground world.

Within minutes, I’m lying across the backseat of Carver’s Escalade as he careens down the road toward his home. King’s arms are still curled around me, and before I know it, the car is skidding to a stop at the top of Carver’s driveway.

I cringe with the jumpy movements, but knowing that my painkillers are calling my name on the other side of the door makes everything so much better. So, when Carver races round to open the back passenger door, I all but jump out at him, desperate to get inside.

CHAPTER 7

A sharp, howling laugh tears out of me as Cruz squishes in beside me on Carver’s massive couch. His arm drapes around my shoulder as his hand holds his phone up between us. “No way,” I squeal, seeing the video playing on his phone.

I take the phone right out of Cruz’s hand and can’t help but glance across the room at Grayson, who up until a second ago was minding his own damn business, but from the twisted grin that stretches across my face, I think he knows exactly what I’m seeing.

“God, no,” Grayson says, his face draining of all color as he looks at Cruz. “If that’s what I think it is, you’re going to fucking die.”

I can’t help but drop my gaze back to the phone, and as I do, I press the volume button on the side and listen as the sweet sound of Grayson’s groan travels through the room.

I instantly clench my thighs. What is it about Grayson that gets me so worked up?

My gaze travels over the video of Grayson. He wears nothing